It’s a funny thing, but enterprise printing often flies under the cybersecurity radar. While big companies pour resources into securing cloud applications and endpoints, their printers are still a big part of daily workflows and can become hidden vulnerabilities. A poorly configured print environment doesn’t just lead to inefficiencies but can open the door to serious data breaches.
If you’re wondering how to secure print processes properly, it starts with recognizing what not to do. Below are the most common enterprise mistakes when it comes to secure print setups and how to avoid them.
Don’t be surprised if you recognise some of these. After all, they’re common, that’s the whole point. The important thing is to fix them before they turn into a costly breach.
Relying on default device settings
A lot of enterprises deploy printers straight out of the box, assuming the default settings are “good enough.” Big mistake. The thing is, factory settings are rarely configured with secure print in mind, especially at enterprise scale. Features like default admin passwords, open ports, and unprotected protocols can lead to major vulnerabilities.
How to fix it: First step, conduct a full secure print setup review before bringing any printer online. Disable unused protocols, change the default credentials, and enforce admin authentication requirements right from the start.
Overlooking print server security
In Zero Trust environments , every endpoint matters, including your print servers. Think about it: these servers handle massive amounts of sensitive data, and they often operate without the same scrutiny as other IT assets such as your cloud infrastructure.
How to fix it: Treat print servers like what they are: critical infrastructure. Apply patches promptly, segment them on the network , and log all activity. If possible, migrate to cloud-native print services that reduce server reliance, so this risk is eliminated entirely.
Skipping secure print release
Secure print release , where users authenticate every job at the device before documents are printed, is arguably one of the simplest ways to protect sensitive data. Still, many organizations skip this feature, or enable it selectively. It’s something that drives us nuts, because the security benefits so vastly outweigh the effort involved.
How to fix it: Enforce secure release policies across all shared and multifunction printers, especially in departments that handle financial, legal or HR data. If you’re worried about usability, check out mobile and badge authentication options .
Letting guests print on internal systems
No, no, no. Giving contractors or visitors access to your primary print infrastructure is a serious misstep. Without isolation, guest print jobs can bypass internal policies or compromise sensitive resources. It’s also a regulatory breach just waiting to happen.
How to fix it: Set up segmented guest printing networks with limited access, short retention windows, and no visibility over internal user directories. You should also use cloud print portals or dedicated guest printers, wherever possible.
Skipping firmware updates
Printers, like any connected device, receive firmware updates to patch known vulnerabilities and exploits. Unfortunately, a lot of enterprises forget or delay these critical updates, leaving big gaps in their cyber defense.
How to fix it: Include printer firmware in your regular patching cycle, just like any other physical endpoint. Subscribe to vendor alerts and push updates centrally to reduce overheads and human error.
Excluding printing from cybersecurity strategy
Hopefully this doesn’t apply to too many of you, but yeah, it happens: print activity is often left out of broader cybersecurity monitoring, which makes it harder to detect anomalous behavior like data exfiltration or internal misuse.
How to fix it: Integrate print activity monitoring into your SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) system. At the very least, you should be tracking who printed what, when, and where – and flagging high-risk patterns automatically.
Leaving print jobs unencrypted
If your print queues aren’t encrypted, documents in transit can get intercepted, especially on unsecured or wireless networks. This is a critical (and costly) mistake for organizations that handle sensitive or regulated data.
How to fix it: Implement end-to-end encryption for all print jobs, both in transit and at rest. Most enterprise print solutions support this natively, but here’s the catch: it has to be configured properly to be effective. So don’t skip this step.
Allowing orphaned drivers to stick around
Over time, print drivers can accumulate across the network, especially if devices are removed or replaced. We call these orphaned or outdated drivers, and they can introduce compatibility issues, or (in some cases) become targets for attackers.
How to fix it: Regularly audit your print driver inventory . Remove unused or redundant drivers, and standardize the trusted, up-to-date versions. Use driver management tools to keep your configurations clean and secure. Better yet, look into global print drivers .
Blindly trusting universal print drivers (UPDs)
On the subjects of global print drivers, or vendor-provided Universal Print Drivers (UPDs)… these often get installed for convenience, but not all of them are created equal. Some lack advanced security features, or don’t support key device-level protections.
How to fix it: Validate each driver against your secure print requirements. If necessary, supplement them with vendor-certified drivers that include encryption, secure release, and audit support. For more info on print drivers in general, check out this article .
Failing to train users in a hybrid environment
Even the most secure infrastructure can be undone by poor user habits. That goes double for hybrid work environments, where personal devices and remote printing increase your risk exposure. If your users don’t know how to use your print network safely, you effectively have an unsafe print network.
How to fix it: Build secure print awareness into your employee training programs. Cover topics like printing sensitive documents at home, disposing of physical files, and reporting print-related anomalies. Remind users that printing is a data action, not just a physical one.
Remember folks, enterprise security doesn’t stop at the screen. Printers process confidential contracts, employee records, financial statements and high-stakes intellectual property daily. By overlooking how to secure print infrastructure, enterprises expose themselves to risks that are both costly and avoidable. Don’t be that enterprise.
